Centrepoint believes that dealing with the social exclusion of young people requires an integrated response starting with the provision of a safe home and building on this to create firm foundations. This means responding to young people in all spheres of their lives: practical, personal, social, learning and work.

A major part of Centrepoint's work lies in the area of shaping, influencing and advancing policy on homelessness, with particular reference to young people.

Our policy work has two objectives:

• to increase the public understanding of the causes and effects of homelessness
• to push for practical changes to policies which would reduce homelessness and enhance the life chances of the young people who use our services

We achieve these objectives by conducting research, examining policies and offering solutions.

Our policy work is rooted in the experiences of the young people who use our services. We are committed to ensuring the views and needs of young people are central to any recommendations we make both for our own services and to government.

We always encourage them to tell their stories in their own way. We capture them in our policy papers and research reports, which are directly connected to young people's lives.

As the Government increasingly looks to work with the voluntary sector in order to deliver public services, we're developing relationships that will catalyse political change. We bring ministers, local councillors and senior policy people to our projects, ensuring that the views and voices of our clients are heard directly.